Unveiling the Pharmacological Promise of Rondeletia leucophylla: A Multidimensional Approach

Rondeletia leucophylla has traditionally been used to treat various ailments, though scientific evidence is limited. This study is aimed at exploring its phytochemical profile through in vitro, in vivo, and in silico investigations.

The dried coarse powder of R. leucophylla stem and leaves was extracted with methanol, then concentrated and dried using a rotary evaporator. The extract was subsequently evaluated through in vitro and in vivo pharmacological assays, preliminary phytochemical screening with standard reagents, gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS) analysis, and various in silico approaches.

Phytochemical screening of the methanolic extract of R. leucophylla (MERL) revealed the presence of steroids, carbohydrates, and glycosides, while GC-MS identified 70 bioactive compounds. MERL showed a total phenolic content of 34.075 mg GAE/μg. Its DPPH assay indicated strong antioxidant activity (IC₅₀: 28.87 μg/mL) compared to the standard butylated hydroxytoluene (BHT, IC₅₀: 26.82 μg/mL). The extract also exhibited moderate thrombolytic activity (39.42%) and antimicrobial effects against various bacterial and fungal strains. The anti-inflammatory results showed that the 400 mg/kg dose stopped paw edema by 49.01%, which is close to aceclofenac's 65.19% reduction. MERL showed strong antidiarrheal action, lowering the number of feces by 87.84% at 600 mg/kg, which was about the same as the standard drug (90.54%). The hypoglycemic effect depended on the dose; the 400 mg/kg dose lowered blood sugar levels significantly close to the control dose (p < 0.001). Molecular docking revealed strong binding affinities of selected compounds to key oxidative stress-related targets, exceeding standard benchmarks, while ADMET profiling indicated favorable drug-like properties and low toxicity.

This study supports the traditional use of R. leucophylla, highlighting its antioxidant, thrombolytic, antimicrobial, antidiarrheal, anti-inflammatory, and hypoglycemic potentials, warranting further pharmacological exploration.